Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tokyo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tokyo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,701 in Tokyo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,691 in Tokyo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,682 in Tokyo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 35% more expensive than in Tokyo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Tokyo 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$8.09 ¥1,314

100.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$48.77 ¥7,923

29.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.48 ¥891

88.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.60 ¥584

-21.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.01

$1.27 ¥206

80.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.86 ¥140

83.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.08 ¥662

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$5.44 ¥883

-25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.62 ¥264

-32.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.51 ¥245

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$5.34 ¥868

-67.04%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.32 ¥377

36.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$15.96 ¥2,593

-17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.12 ¥1,319

-1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$22.55 ¥3,664

-31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.52 ¥897

-57.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.59 ¥421

-33.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.92 ¥962

-66.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$6.07 ¥987

-59.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.24 ¥527

-45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.39 ¥551

-40.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.45 ¥235

32.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.87 ¥142

-2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.25 ¥691

54.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$9.31 ¥1,513

-40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.05 ¥334

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.87 ¥466

3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.48 ¥241

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$84.6 ¥13.7K

-45.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.38 ¥548

25.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.91 ¥473

-72.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$26.24 ¥4,264

-29.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.20 ¥195

73.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K €30.4K

$23.6K ¥3.8M

47.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K €34.3K

$17.2K ¥2.8M

127.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €130

$168 ¥27.2K

-11.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.46 €17.92

$25.82 ¥4,195

-20.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$33.50 ¥5,444

18.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$70.9 ¥11.5K

-32.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$20.25 ¥3,289

-8.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$13.07 ¥2,124

-29.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$616 €540

$495 ¥80.3K

24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$15.7K ¥2.6M

4.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$61.5 ¥10,000

66.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$41.66 ¥6,769

0.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$65.9 ¥10.7K

43.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$91.1 ¥14.8K

34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,120 ¥182.0K

45.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$606 ¥98.5K

103.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,680 ¥435.5K

15.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,342 ¥218.0K

51.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$10.4K ¥1.7M

-24.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$4,986 ¥810.1K

-11.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,330 ¥378.5K

-31.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.72

121.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $383, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tokyo differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,701 including rent). Tokyo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Tokyo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,120 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $495 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,701 in Tokyo versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tokyo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tokyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Tokyo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tokyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.